Storage and display cabinet



Aug. 29, 1933. M. FRITZ ET AL 1,924,117

STORAGE AND DISPLAYz'CABINET Filed April 13, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 m cfdzzfdfd Wz. 7/172 Eda/1'72 72 Jmma @gf/um/t 3%0/2206 m H 1 Q a g H M l Aug. 29, 1933. E. M. FRn'z ET AL 1,924,117

STORAGE AND DISPLAY CABINET filed-April 13, 1931' 3 heets-$heet 2 Aug. 29, 1933. E. M. FRITZ ET'AL STORAGE AND DISPLAY CABINET Filed April 13; 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 @wwwwwm Patented Aug. 29, 1933 I UNITED s'TaTEsPATE r OFFICE STORAGE AND DISPLAY CABINET Edward M. Fritz, 'Edwin K. Thomas, and Frank W. Thomas, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignors to Grand Rapids Cabinet Company,

Grand The present invention relates td a storage and display-cabinet and particularly to such a cabinet which is designed for the effective display and maintenance of frozen food andsimilar merchandise at temperatures of zero Fahrenheit and below. Such merchandise is ordinarily prepared by being quickly frozen at sub-zero temperature and should be maintained at extremely low temperature until it is delivered to the customer. In view of this fact, a serious problem of heat interchange arises each time that such display cabinets are opened to dispense merchandise therefrom due to the extremely large differential between ordinary room temperature and the temperature which'must be maintained in the-storage cabinet. This problem of heat interchange with its resultant frosting due to the inflow of relatively humid warm air has caused many difficulties with existing low 0 temperature display and storage cabinets which as designed permit interior air circulation and' which have side wall doors for the removal and introduction of merchandise. Such. structures allow a ready inflow of relatively humid 'warm air which results in inefiicient operation and in objectionable frosting of transparent members such as panes of glass when the cabinets are used for display purpose. It also frosts the cooling surface reducing efficiency and necessitating frequent defrosting.

We have overcome such difficulties in structures embodying the present invention, first, by providing refrigerating media designed to effect uniform heat extraction in a cabinet which is designed to minimize air circulation, and, secondly, by positioning the doors for the removal and introduction of merchandise at the top of the cabinet whereby any substantial heat interchange upon the opening of such doors is pre- 40- vented due to the natural upward flow of 'warm air.

Our invention further lends itself to the practical applicability of such low temperature cabinets for display purposes, since the transparent members used for such purposes do not become clouded or frosted. In this connection an important object of our invention resides in the provision of a low temperature cabinet of the kind described having a display'compartment or compartments which are effectively refrigerated to extremely low temperatures and which are so I arranged as to permit of convenient visual inspection of the displayed merchandise at all provision of a .display tray which is readily adaptable-to positioning at various angles and which is readily removable to permit of the introduction or removal of merchandise therefrom.

At the same time, such .a display tray serves to isolate the displaycompartment from the remainder of the cabinet, provision being made to adjustably seal the openings at the ends of the rear wall thereof. I

A further important object of our invention 5 resides in providing maximum heat extracting means at the top portion of the cabinet. Such means are immersed or imbedded in a hold-over or circulating medium such as brine, which'fills thewalls surrounding each compartment. this way a uniform low temperature is maintained throughout the'entire cabinet and warm air pock- 'ets are eliminated'even at the extreme top of the cabinet. This construction and lack of air circulation obviates the necessity of defrosting.

A further object of the invention ,resides inthe provision of a low temperature storage and display cabinet having readily shiftable partition means for classifying and separating the contents of the storage compartment.

It is finally an important object of our invention to provide a low temperature storage and display cabinet for frozen foods or similar merchandise which can be used in the display and dispensing of such merchandise with a minimum of heat interchange and without the necessity of frequent defrosting.

Other and further important objects of our 'invention will be apparent from the specification and the accompanying drawings.

The invention (in a preferred form) is shown on the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a refrigerated storage and display cabinet embodying the features of this invention in a preferred form wherein the display is not accessible to the customer.

-Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmental horizontal section on the line 11-11 of Figure 1. r

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical'section on the line III-III of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing the glass mounting in the transparent slanted portion of the cabinet.

Figure 5 is'an enlarged-fragmentary detail ofone end of theremovable display tray.

Figure 6 is afragmental vertical cross section. of a modified form of the invention as adapted 110 I structed.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmental detail section showing the glass mounting in one of the compartment doors of Figure 6. I,

' As shown on the drawings:

The two forms of cabinets are preferably of similar construction, with the exception of the .top, so that common reference numerals will be used as far as practical. The cabinet or case is preferably formed with an exterior enameled or rustless metal covering 10, that on the sides beseparated by spacing strips 34 with a rubber in'g backed by plywood panels 11 on a skeleton frame 12. The refrigerated chamber 13 proper is formed within a double walled tank 14 forming a brine or hold over compartment 15 containing refrigerating coils 16 preferably in the upper portions thereof to assure even cold dis tribution, as will hereinafter more fully appear. The spaces purposely left between the inside of the panels 11 or frame 12 and the outside walls of the brine tank 14 are occupied by two or more layers of carefully fitted cork board or molded insulation 17, the, layers of which are preferably separated by tarred paper or other impervious non-conductive material 18, in order to further increase the efficiency of the insulation. The bottom 19 of the cabinet is similarly con- In both forms .of the invention the top 20 is provided with one or two door open: ings for each compartment thereof, the door and fixed display window openings having a frame or border 21 covered by enameled or other rust less metal covering 22 which is flanged over the edges of the top to give an attractive finish to the cabinet. A filler opening closed by a cap 23 is provided in the top in communication with the brine tank 14 topermit filling the same to'its top with brine or other hold over substance. In order to assure uniformity of temperature throughout a compartment the case is divided by one or more permanent double walled partitions 24 which receive brine from the main tank and also'have some coils of the expansion system passing therethrough. The result is obtained by forming the inner'lining of each cbmpartment as an individual unit, the adjoining sides of two compartments forming the. partition24. Thus each inner compartment is subjected to equal radiation from the cold brine surrounding all four walls and bottom, preventing the establishment of hot pockets or air circulation within the compartments.

In the preferred and first disclosed embodiment of the invention, which is intended for counter service, the front portion of the top is given a slant downwardly and is equipped with a transparent display window 26, the slant being. such that the average person looks through the window at approximately right angles thereto to avoid *refiections andrefraction through; the glass. Back of the display window, in the fiat portion of the top, insulated doors 28 areprovided for each compartment to permit the clerk to reach the storage compartments in backof and below the articles displayed beneath the transparent window.

A detailof the preferred construction of the display window is shown in Figure 4. The window is of multiple glass construction wherein the various panes 29 are separated by air. spaces, it being essential to prevent air circulation both to prevent heat loss and to prevent moisture condensation or frosting of the glasses which would interfere with proper transparency. The illustrated structure comprises four panes of glass;

the two center panes being bedded in when the framework 30' is assembled while the lower pane isheld by an applied frame 31 and the upper frame by a beveled edge 32 on the top metal cover Which cover seats on a rubber gasket 33 about gasket 35 between the bottom one and the lowest glass, in addition to the top gasket 33 previously mentioned. y,

In order to .better display the merchandise, lighting units and reflectors 52 may be mounted at each compartment, as shown in Figure 1.

A sliding drawer or tray 36 rests upon angle guides 37 secured to the end walls of the brine tank, the tray being a loose fit in the compartment and having a back member 38 hooked at the top edge 39 to engage a similar hooked member 40 depending from the top of the cabinet'to form an air seal and to support the back end of the tray thus permitting suspension of the tray at an angle, if desired. Each end of the back member 38 is provided with slidable ends il as shown in Figures 2 and 5 which are adapted to be projected into contact with the walls of the compartment and clamped in position by knobs 42. These slidable ends are retracted and the tray lifted slightly to disengage the hooked edges of the members '39 and 40 when it is desired to service openings are formed in the flat portion of the top of the cabinet to eliminate the circu lation of air upon opening the doors to supply the needs of a customer. Since cold air flows downwardly it tends to remain within the cabinet thus excluding the entry of warm air from the room even when a door is held open, This arrangement is especially valuable in a sub-zero cabinet required for the'satisfactory prolonged storage of ice cream or quick frozen meat and other perishable products, since the top openings not only prevent loss of the cold air but also tend to hold the air stagnant without the presence of hot pockets which would tend toset up air circulation and cause dehydration of the articles in storage and the resulting frosting of the compartment linings and display windows;

In both forms of -the invention intermediate shiftable partitions 43 are provided which are located to suit the desired arrangementv of packaged goods in thestorage compartments. If two of these partitions are used ineach compartment, the display trays 36 canbe rested directly thereon thus eliminating the bars 37 previously described.

\ can be lifted clear of the lower angles on each side at the time the notches 46 are in alignment with the upper angles on the sides, thus permitting the sideways shifting of the partition to other notches. The modified form of fiat top cabinet shown in Figures 6 and 7 is designed for customer selfmounted on a common hinge 48 and are provided. with sealing gaskets 49- and 50 at the top and bottom edges thereof to form a double seal. In

this form of the invention the display tray 51 need not be slidable since access may be had directly thereto, so that the movable partitions 43 can be extended upwardly back of the tray to hold the tray in position. The tray can also be I omitted if desired, permitting full visibility and access to both sides of the case.)

By virtue of our invention, the "customer is enabled to make a selection of a desired package or mold form from visual inspection and the display of such goods in frozen condition, whereby they are maintained in their original attractive form, in fact materially increases sales without increased expenditure of effort on the part of sales people.

Furthermore the maintenance of goods, such as ice cream, in storage at such extremely low temperatures, assures that the desired physical form thereof will be maintained for a considerable length of time after withdrawal from the cabinet whereby their original attractive appearance is retained at the time of serving.

While as we have indicated, cabinets embodying our invention are particularly adapted to the storage of ice cream and other quick frozen foods which must be maintained at extremely low temperatures, usually below zero Fahrenheit, it will be obvious that our cabinets may be used at higher temperatures if it is desired to so regulate the refrigerating apparatus for such operation.

Primarily, however, our inventive concept has to do with the provision of an efficient storage and display cabinet, the interior of which can normally be economically maintained at subzero temperatures. 7

We are aware. that numerous details of construction maybe varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and we therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

We claim as ourinvention:

1. A low temperature display and storage abi-.

net comprising a boxlike unit formed of walls and a bottom rigidly held together, a water tight container adapted to snugly engage interiorly of said walls and bottom, inner walls located a short distance from the walls of the water tight container whereby a water tight chamber is formed thereby, cooling pipes located in said chamber, cooling. fluid surrounding said cooling.

pipes, partitions adapted to be received crosswise and interiorly of the cabinet, means to removably mount the partitions in place, a tray slidably mounted within said cabinet, a transparent member longitudinally located to one side of the top of said cabinet and doors adapted to tightly close the balance of the top of the cabinet. 2. A low temperature display andstorage cablsides thereof, refrigerating pipes located between said walls, a refrigerating fluid surrounding said pipes, a top covering said cabinet including, a. transparent portion at a side thereof, a movable tray adapted to be moved to a position underneath said transparent portion and there engag ing with portions of the cabinet to provide a separate substantially sealed compartment between said trayandthe transparent portion of the top, and a door at the top of the cabinet adjacent said transparent portion for access to the remainder of the cabinet.

x 3. A construction containing the elements in combination defined in claim 2, combined with. vertical partitions adjustably mounted between the front and rear of the cabinet, and means for maintaining said partitions in any position in which placed and for permitting adjustment of the partitions to different vertical positions, said partitions being locatedbelow the tray.

4. A refrigerated cabinet having an open u per side, a refrigerating tank within and around 10 the-vertical walls of the cabinet, said tank having relatively closely spaced parallel vertical walls connected at their upper and lower ends sto provide an enclosed space adapted to hold a refrigerant fluid and said tank extending to the upper edges of the cabinet, refrigerating coils within said tank, a closure for the: upper end of the cabinet including a door' for access thereto and atransparent portion, and a tray slidably mounted in the upper portion of the cabinet adaptedto be moved underneath said transparent portion of the closure and adapted tov carry articles of merchandise, said tray when moved to positionunderneath said transparent portion of the closure engaging with the cabinet to provide a substantially sealed compartment within which said articles for display are positioned.

5. A storage anddisplay refrigerator cabinet comprising a' box like structure having means therein defining a display space and a storage comprising a tray slidableto a position underneath said fiat topportion whereby access to said display space is adapted to be obtained upon movement of said fiat top portion.

EDWARD M. ,FRITZ. EDWIN K; THOMAS. FRANK "W. THOMAS. 

